Ahab Covets Naboth’s Vineyard

1 Now it came° about after° these° things° that Naboth° the Jezreelite° had° a vineyard° which° [was] in aJezreel° beside° the palace° of Ahab° king° of Samaria°.
2 Ahab° spoke° to Naboth°, saying°, “aGive° me your vineyard°, that I may have° it for a vegetable° garden° because° it is close° beside° my house°, and I will give° you a better° vineyard° than° it in its place°; if°Iyou like°°, I will give° you the price° of IIit in money°.”
3 But Naboth° said° to Ahab°, “The LORD° forbid° me athat I should give° you the inheritance° of my fathers°.”
4aSo Ahab° came° into his house° sullen° and vexed° because° of the word° which° Naboth° the Jezreelite° had spoken° to him; for he said°, “I will not give° you the inheritance° of my fathers°.” And he lay° down° on his bed° and turned° away° his face° and ate° no°Ifood°.

5 ¶ But Jezebel° his wife° came° to him and said° to him, “How° is it that your spirit° is so sullen° that you are not eating°Ifood°?”
6 So he said° to her, “Because° I spoke° to Naboth° the Jezreelite° and said° to him, ‘Give° me your vineyard° for money°; or° else, if° it pleases° you, I will give° you a vineyard° in its place°.’ But he said°, ‘I will not give° you my vineyard°.’”
7 Jezebel° his wife° said° to him, “aDo you now°Ireign°° over° Israel°? Arise°, eat° bread°, and let your heart° be joyful°; I will give° you the vineyard° of Naboth° the Jezreelite°.”

8 ¶ aSo she wrote° letters° in Ahab’s° name° and sealed° them with his seal°, and sent° letters° to bthe elders° and to the nobles° who° were living° with Naboth° in his city°.
9 Now she wrote° in the letters°, saying°, “Proclaim° a fast° and seat° Naboth° at the head° of the people°;
10 and seat° two°aworthless° men° before° him, and let them testify° against him, saying°, ‘bYou cursed° God° and the king°.’ Then take° him out and cstone° him Ito death°.”

Jezebel’s Plot

11 ¶ So the men° of his city°, the elders° and the nobles° who° lived° in his city°, did° as Jezebel° had sent° [word] to them, just° as it was written° in the letters° which° she had sent° them.
12 They aproclaimed° a fast° and seated° Naboth° at the head° of the people°.
13 Then the two° worthless° men° came° in and sat° before° him; and the worthless° men° testified° against him, even against Naboth°, before° the people°, saying°, “Naboth° cursed° God° and the king°.” aSo they took° him outside°° the city° and stoned° him Ito death° with stones°.
14 Then they sent° [word] to Jezebel°, saying°, “Naboth° has been stoned° and is dead°.”

15 ¶ When Jezebel° heard° that Naboth° had been stoned° and was dead°, Jezebel° said° to Ahab°, “Arise°, take° possession° of the vineyard° of Naboth°, the Jezreelite°, which° he refused° to give° you for money°; for Naboth° is not alive°, but dead°.”
16 When Ahab° heard° that Naboth° was dead°, Ahab° arose° to go° down° to the vineyard° of Naboth° the Jezreelite°, to take° possession° of it.

17 ¶ Then the word° of the LORD° came° to Elijah° the Tishbite°, saying°,
18 “Arise°, go° down° to meet° Ahab° king° of Israel°, awho° is in Samaria°; behold°, he is in the vineyard° of Naboth° where°° he has gone° down° to take° possession° of it.
19 You shall speak° to him, saying°, ‘Thus° says° the LORD°, “aHave you murdered° and also° taken° possession°?”’ And you shall speak° to him, saying°, ‘Thus° says° the LORD°, “bIn the place° where° the dogs° licked° up the blood° of Naboth° the dogs° will lick° up your blood°, even° yours°.”’”

20 ¶ Ahab° said° to Elijah°, “aHave you found° me, O my enemy°?” And he Ianswered°, “I have found° [you], bbecause° you have sold° yourself to do° evil° in the sight° of the LORD°.
21 Behold°, I will bring° evil° upon you, and awill utterly° sweep° you away°, and will cut° off° from Ahab° every° male°°, both bond° and free° in Israel°;
22 and aI will make° your house°blike the house° of Jeroboam° the son° of Nebat°, and like the house° of Baasha° the son° of Ahijah°, because° of the provocation° with which° you have provoked° [Me] to anger°, and [because] you chave made Israel° sin°.
23 Of Jezebel° also° has the LORD° spoken°, saying°, ‘aThe dogs° will eat° Jezebel° in the Idistrict° of Jezreel°.’
24aThe one belonging to Ahab°, who dies° in the city°, the dogs° will eat°, and the one who dies° in the field° the birds° of heaven° will eat°.”

25 ¶ aSurely° there was no° one like Ahab° who° sold° himself to do° evil° in the sight° of the LORD°, Ibecause° Jezebel° his wife° incited° him.
26aHe acted° very° abominably° in following°° idols°, baccording to all° that the Amorites° had done°, whom° the LORD° cast° out before°° the sons° of Israel°.

27 ¶ It came° about when Ahab° heard° these° words°, that ahe tore° his clothes° and put°Ion sackcloth° and fasted°, and he lay° in sackcloth° and went° about IIdespondently°.
28 Then the word° of the LORD° came° to Elijah° the Tishbite°, saying°,
29 “Do you see° how° Ahab° has humbled° himself before°° Me? Because°° he has humbled° himself before°° Me, I will not bring° the evil° in his days°, [but] I will bring° the evil° upon his house°ain his son’s° days°.”

Ahab being denied Naboth's vinyard is grieved.

1 ¶ And it came to pass² afterº these² things,º [that] Nabothº the Jezreeliteº had² a vineyard,º which² [was] in Jezreel,º hard² by¹ the palaceº of Ahabº kingº of Samaria.º2 And Ahabº spakeºª unto² Naboth,º saying,ºª Giveºª me² thy vineyard,º that I may have² it for a gardenº of herbs,º because² it² [is] near¹ untoº² my house:º and I will giveºª thee for² it a betterº vineyardº than² it; [or], if² it seem good¹ to thee,º² I will giveºª thee the worthº of it² in money.º3 And Nabothº saidºª to² Ahab,º The LORDº² forbidº it me, that I should giveºª²² the inheritanceº of my fathersº unto thee. 4 And Ahabº cameºª into² his houseº heavyº and displeasedº because² of the wordº which² Nabothº the Jezreeliteº had spokenºª to² him: for he had said,ºª I will not² giveºª thee² the inheritanceº of my fathers.º And he laid him downºª upon² his bed,º and turned awayºª² his face,º and would eatºª no² bread.º

Jezebel writing letters against Naboth, he is condemned of blasphemy.

5 ¶ But Jezebelº his wifeº cameºª to² him, and saidºª unto² him, Why²² is thy spiritº so sad,º that thou eatestºª no² bread?º6 And he saidºª unto² her, Because² I spakeºª unto² Nabothº the Jezreelite,º and saidºª unto him, Giveºª me² thy vineyardº for money;º or² else, if² it please¹² thee,² I will giveºª thee [another] vineyardº for² it: and he answered,ºª I will not² giveºª thee² my vineyard.º7 And Jezebelº his wifeº saidºª unto² him, Dost thou² now² governºª² the kingdomº of Israel?º arise,ºª [and] eatºª bread,º and let thine heartº be merry:ºª I² will giveºª thee² the vineyardº of Nabothº the Jezreelite.º8 So she wroteºª lettersº in Ahab'sº name,º and sealedºª [them] with his seal,º and sentºª the lettersº unto² the eldersº and to² the noblesº that² [were] in his city,º dwellingºª with² Naboth.º9 And she wroteºª in the letters,º saying,ºª Proclaimºª a fast,º and setºª² Nabothº on highº among the people:º10 And setºª twoº men,¹² sonsº of Belial,º before² him, to bear witness¹ª against² him, saying,ºª Thou didst blasphemeºª Godº and the king.º And [then] carry him out,ºª and stoneºª him, that he may die.ºª11 And the men¹² of his city,º [even] the eldersº and the noblesº who² were the inhabitantsºª in his city,º didºª as² Jezebelº had sentºª unto² them, [and] as² it [was] writtenºª in the lettersº which² she had sentºª unto² them. 12 They proclaimedºª a fast,º and setºª² Nabothº on highº among the people.º13 And there came¹ª in² twoº men,¹² childrenº of Belial,º and satºª before² him: and the men¹² of Belialº witnessed¹ª against² him, [even] against² Naboth,º in the presence² of the people,º saying,ºª Nabothº did blasphemeºª Godº and the king.º Then they carried him forthºª out¹ of²² the city,º and stonedºª him with stones,º that he died.ºª14 Then they sentºª to² Jezebel,º saying,ºª Nabothº is stoned,ºª and is dead.ºª

Ahab taketh possession of the vinyard.

15 ¶ And it came to pass,² when Jezebelº heardºª that² Nabothº was stoned,ºª and was dead,ºª that Jezebelº saidºª to² Ahab,º Arise,ºª take possessionºª of² the vineyardº of Nabothº the Jezreelite,º which² he refusedºª to giveºª thee for money:º for² Nabothº is not² alive,º but² dead.ºª16 And it came to pass,² when Ahabº heardºª that² Nabothº was dead,ºª that Ahabº rose upºª to go downºª to² the vineyardº of Nabothº the Jezreelite,º to take possessionºª of it.

Elijah denounceth judgments against Ahab and Jezebel.

17 ¶ And the wordº of the LORDº came² to² Elijahº the Tishbite,º saying,ºª18 Arise,ºª go downºª to meet¹ª² Ahabº kingº of Israel,º which² [is] in Samaria:º behold,² [he is] in the vineyardº of Naboth,º whither²² he is gone downºª to possessºª it. 19 And thou shalt speakºª unto² him, saying,ºª Thus² saithºª the LORD,º Hast thou killed,ºª and also² taken possession?ºª And thou shalt speakºª unto² him, saying,ºª Thus² saithºª the LORD,º In the placeº where² dogsº lickedºª² the bloodº of Nabothº shall dogsº lickºª² thy blood,º even² thine.²20 And Ahabº saidºª to² Elijah,º Hast thou foundºª me, O mine enemy?ºª And he answered,ºª I have foundºª [thee]: because² thou hast soldºª thyself to workºª evilº in the sightº of the LORD.º21 Behold,² I will bringºª evilº upon² thee, and will take awayºª thy posterity,º and will cut offºª from Ahabº him that pissethºª against the wall,º and him that is shut upºª and leftºª in Israel,º22 And will makeºª² thine houseº like the houseº of Jeroboamº the sonº of Nebat,º and like the houseº of Baashaº the sonº of Ahijah,º for² the provocationº wherewith² thou hast provoked [me] to anger,ºª and made Israel¹ to sin.ºª²²23 And of Jezebelº also² spakeºª the LORD,º saying,ºª The dogsº shall eatºª² Jezebelº by the wallº of Jezreel.º24 Him that diethºª of Ahabº in the cityº the dogsº shall eat;ºª and him that diethºª in the fieldº shall the fowlsº of the airº eat.ºª

Wicked Ahab repenting, God deferreth the judgment.

25 ¶ But² there was² none² like unto Ahab,º which² did sell¹ª himself² to workºª wickednessº in the sightº of the LORD,º whom²² Jezebelº his wifeº stirred up.ºª26 And he did veryº abominablyºª in followingº¹ª² idols,º according to all² [things] as² didºª the Amorites,º whom² the LORDº cast outºª beforeº² the childrenº of Israel.º27 And it came to pass,² when Ahabº heardºª² those² words,º that he rentºª his clothes,º and putºª sackclothº upon² his flesh,º and fasted,ºª and layºª in sackcloth,º and wentºª softly.º28 And the wordº of the LORDº came² to² Elijahº the Tishbite,º saying,ºª29 Seestºª thou how² Ahabº humbleth¹ª himself² beforeº² me? becauseº² he humbleth¹ª himself² beforeº² me, I will not² bringºª the evilº in his days:º [but] in his son'sº daysº will I bringºª the evilº upon² his house.º